31 Days of Scream-O-Ween! - TerrorVision / Video Dead Double Feature

Tuesday

Oct 8, 2013 at 5:20 PM

By DavidMassey

Often, whenI see double-feature releases on Blu-Ray, my knee-jerk reaction is that I’m scrapingthe bottom of the bargain bin. Having only seen bits and pieces of ‘TerrorVision’as a kid and never having heard of ‘The Video Dead’, I assumed that I was infor a few hours of drudgery. That couldn’t have been further from the truth;‘TerrorVision’ is a camp classic, oozing with 1980’s kitsch, and ‘The VideoDead’, as shoe-string as it is, wound up being quite a fun little ride.Together, Scream Factory has given us a polished version of the often-hard-to-findgem that is Terror Vision with a bit of a forgotten bonus in The Video Dead andmade the package well worth a buy.

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Review

The Films:

Both filmsare given equal time and effort here but ‘TerrorVision’ is doubtless the mainfeature. We’re introduced to a family brimming with all the worst trappings of the1980’s; the clichés have been elevated to the absurd and it’s to the director,Ted Nicolaou’s, credit that, in 1986, he was able to poke so much fun at thedecade without the benefit of hindsight. The result is an off-the-wall comedythat feels like a 1950’s monster movie, staring ‘Leave it to Beaver’, asfiltered through ‘Adult Swim’.

Thedaughter, Suzy, played by Diane Frankin (‘Better Off Dead’ / ‘Bill & Ted’sExcellent Adventure’), has the hair and make-up of an animated Cindy Lauper andan over-the-top valley-girl gab. A very young Chad Allen (you’ll recognize himfrom nearly every family TV show of the late 80’s and early 90’s), is the war-game-obsessedson. The mother, played by the always fantastic Mary Woronov (Roger Corman’sposter girl and star of ‘Eating Raoul’), is a distant, self-involved socialitemore interested in her exercise videos than her kids. Gerrit Graham (‘Phantomof the Paradise’ / ‘Demon Seed’), hams it up as the swinging (literally) fatheralways on the lookout for the next big thing. Rounding out the family is Grampa,the paranoid vet with a bomb shelter in the basement (Bert Remsen – ‘Nashville’/ ‘Places in the Heart’) and Suzy’s boyfriend, ‘O.D.’, the tweaked metal-headdropout played buy 1980’s staple, Jon Gries (‘Real Genius’ / ‘Running Scared’).Together, this group inhabits a home that looks like a cross between a sex spaand a Patrick Nagel exhibition on ecstasy.

Wacky fromminute one (the theme song being one of the film’s high points), the family hasjust hooked up their new satellite dish while, simultaneously, far across thecosmos, a creature that can only be described as a booger with eyes, is beingtransported in exile by a humanoid-lizard alien that we don’t learn much moreabout until the film’s climax. The monster is mistakenly transmitted to thefamily’s satellite dish and has the ability to escape at will from their TVsets. Nonsense ensues as the monster is able, by transforming its tongue, toimpersonate the face and voice of anyone it kills.

The filmnever really crosses into any straight genre and manages to hover, quiteproudly, over ‘wonderfully weird’. If all of Hollywood had ostracized, insteadof embraced, Tim Burton, this is the kind of live-action cartoon he’d bemaking.

‘The VideoDead’ feels much more like a student film, held together with Scotch tape andchocolate-syrup blood and looking more like no-budget-1970 than 1987, the yearit was made. A mysterious TV inscribed with a skull and programmed entirelywith zombie movies is delivered to a man who lives alone. One night, theunplugged TV becomes a portal for zombies. Yup, that’s right, zombies escapefrom the TV and go on a killing spree. I won’t pretend that this isn’t thefodder of late-night TV. In fact, I vaguely recall seeing it on ‘USA Up AllNight with Rhonda Shear’ back in the very early 90’s, usually the final restingplace for all 1980’s camp horror. What makes this one stand out is its bizarrelogic; these are not Romero’s zombies.

After sometime, new residents move into the house and discover the possessed TV in theattic. The film turns into a teen-horror and the characters are given glimpsesof another world beyond the screen in which a vampish seductress taunts and ahero garbage man is in search of the escaping zombies. Little of this isexplained beyond a few scenes and that plot seems all but forgotten halfwaythrough. In the second half we’re introduced to a mysterious roaming Texan (apoor man’s Slim Pickens) hoping to avenge his wife’s death which was apparentlyat the hands of these zombies.

As if thatwasn’t weird enough, the zombies giggle, taunt, and torture their prey. There’sno biting here, more likely, these ghouls are apt to strangle and kill inelaborate ways (see washing machine death) usually reserved for the likes of ‘JasonVoorhees’ or ‘Michael Myers’. There’s also a number of rules (a la ‘Gremlins’)that can be used in combatting them. There was something to do with mirrors,bells, and having to convince the zombies that they’re dead; there was even ascene where claustrophobia seemingly causes one of their heads to explode andthe others turn cannibal. I didn’t really follow all of it but it didn’t reallymatter. With some schlocky gore and a plot drifting from comedy, to stonermovie, to chainsaw wielding buddy adventure, I suggest just sitting back,turning your logic-cap off, and having a laugh at this one; without being atall good, it’s not all bad.

The Disc:

The filmsare not really given any star treatment in their packaging. There’s asplit-cover showing the original posters for each (incidentally, ‘TerrorVision’was written entirely around this pre-existing poster). On the reverse are somestills from the movies and 2 alternative posters for The Video Dead.

Both filmscome with new documentaries about the making of, bringing together many of thecast and crew.

Thecommentary for Terror Vision was fun and really elevated the movie for me.There were tons of insights to the evolution of the production, the actor’sperception of the script, on-set anecdotes, and the initial response to thefilm when it was released. Unfortunately, the commentary for The Video Deadreads like an apologetic ‘MST3000’ episode. There are some funny moments butyou get the impression that this wasn’t exactly as passion-project.

Being one ofthose cult films that’s been sought-after but not easily found for a number ofdecades, this is likely the best version of ‘TerrorVision’ that’s ever beenavailable. The latter is probably true for The Video Dead but I doubt the samecould be said of the former. Of the two, The Video Dead is the least fortunatein presentation. Most of the film, shot in 16mm, is so grainy and ghosty thatit’s a bit like watching through a mask of gauze. The set comes with both filmson DVD & Blu-Ray but, with The Video Dead, I really couldn’t see adifference.

TheFeatures:

Terror Vision:

Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Ted Nicolaou and Actors Diane Franklin and Jon GriesDocumentary ‘Monsters on Demand – The Making of Terror Vision’ – New MaterialPosters & Still Gallery

Story: C- / Both films seem to be a means to an end with little thought put into plotting.Presentation: B / I think both films are getting the Surprise-Prom-Queen treatment here (minus the pig’s blood).Scare Factor: D / More laughs than scares here.Gore Factor: C / Both films give a go at grossing us out.Repeat view-ability: ‘TerrorVision’ gets a solid B because this is one that you just wanna show your weirdo friends. ‘The Video Dead’ gets D. I can’t see myself really giving it my time again.

Add TerrorVision and The Video Dead to your collection, click HERE!

Check out yesterday's Scream Factory review Phantasm 2!

By David
Massey

Often, when
I see double-feature releases on Blu-Ray, my knee-jerk reaction is that I’m scraping
the bottom of the bargain bin. Having only seen bits and pieces of ‘TerrorVision’
as a kid and never having heard of ‘The Video Dead’, I assumed that I was in
for a few hours of drudgery. That couldn’t have been further from the truth;
‘TerrorVision’ is a camp classic, oozing with 1980’s kitsch, and ‘The Video
Dead’, as shoe-string as it is, wound up being quite a fun little ride.
Together, Scream Factory has given us a polished version of the often-hard-to-find
gem that is Terror Vision with a bit of a forgotten bonus in The Video Dead and
made the package well worth a buy.

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Review
The Films:
Both films
are given equal time and effort here but ‘TerrorVision’ is doubtless the main
feature. We’re introduced to a family brimming with all the worst trappings of the
1980’s; the clichés have been elevated to the absurd and it’s to the director,
Ted Nicolaou’s, credit that, in 1986, he was able to poke so much fun at the
decade without the benefit of hindsight. The result is an off-the-wall comedy
that feels like a 1950’s monster movie, staring ‘Leave it to Beaver’, as
filtered through ‘Adult Swim’.
The
daughter, Suzy, played by Diane Frankin (‘Better Off Dead’ / ‘Bill & Ted’s
Excellent Adventure’), has the hair and make-up of an animated Cindy Lauper and
an over-the-top valley-girl gab. A very young Chad Allen (you’ll recognize him
from nearly every family TV show of the late 80’s and early 90’s), is the war-game-obsessed
son. The mother, played by the always fantastic Mary Woronov (Roger Corman’s
poster girl and star of ‘Eating Raoul’), is a distant, self-involved socialite
more interested in her exercise videos than her kids. Gerrit Graham (‘Phantom
of the Paradise’ / ‘Demon Seed’), hams it up as the swinging (literally) father
always on the lookout for the next big thing. Rounding out the family is Grampa,
the paranoid vet with a bomb shelter in the basement (Bert Remsen – ‘Nashville’
/ ‘Places in the Heart’) and Suzy’s boyfriend, ‘O.D.’, the tweaked metal-head
dropout played buy 1980’s staple, Jon Gries (‘Real Genius’ / ‘Running Scared’).
Together, this group inhabits a home that looks like a cross between a sex spa
and a Patrick Nagel exhibition on ecstasy.
Wacky from
minute one (the theme song being one of the film’s high points), the family has
just hooked up their new satellite dish while, simultaneously, far across the
cosmos, a creature that can only be described as a booger with eyes, is being
transported in exile by a humanoid-lizard alien that we don’t learn much more
about until the film’s climax. The monster is mistakenly transmitted to the
family’s satellite dish and has the ability to escape at will from their TV
sets. Nonsense ensues as the monster is able, by transforming its tongue, to
impersonate the face and voice of anyone it kills.
The film
never really crosses into any straight genre and manages to hover, quite
proudly, over ‘wonderfully weird’. If all of Hollywood had ostracized, instead
of embraced, Tim Burton, this is the kind of live-action cartoon he’d be
making.
‘The Video
Dead’ feels much more like a student film, held together with Scotch tape and
chocolate-syrup blood and looking more like no-budget-1970 than 1987, the year
it was made. A mysterious TV inscribed with a skull and programmed entirely
with zombie movies is delivered to a man who lives alone. One night, the
unplugged TV becomes a portal for zombies. Yup, that’s right, zombies escape
from the TV and go on a killing spree. I won’t pretend that this isn’t the
fodder of late-night TV. In fact, I vaguely recall seeing it on ‘USA Up All
Night with Rhonda Shear’ back in the very early 90’s, usually the final resting
place for all 1980’s camp horror. What makes this one stand out is its bizarre
logic; these are not Romero’s zombies.
After some
time, new residents move into the house and discover the possessed TV in the
attic. The film turns into a teen-horror and the characters are given glimpses
of another world beyond the screen in which a vampish seductress taunts and a
hero garbage man is in search of the escaping zombies. Little of this is
explained beyond a few scenes and that plot seems all but forgotten halfway
through. In the second half we’re introduced to a mysterious roaming Texan (a
poor man’s Slim Pickens) hoping to avenge his wife’s death which was apparently
at the hands of these zombies.
As if that
wasn’t weird enough, the zombies giggle, taunt, and torture their prey. There’s
no biting here, more likely, these ghouls are apt to strangle and kill in
elaborate ways (see washing machine death) usually reserved for the likes of ‘Jason
Voorhees’ or ‘Michael Myers’. There’s also a number of rules (a la ‘Gremlins’)
that can be used in combatting them. There was something to do with mirrors,
bells, and having to convince the zombies that they’re dead; there was even a
scene where claustrophobia seemingly causes one of their heads to explode and
the others turn cannibal. I didn’t really follow all of it but it didn’t really
matter. With some schlocky gore and a plot drifting from comedy, to stoner
movie, to chainsaw wielding buddy adventure, I suggest just sitting back,
turning your logic-cap off, and having a laugh at this one; without being at
all good, it’s not all bad.

The Disc:
The films
are not really given any star treatment in their packaging. There’s a
split-cover showing the original posters for each (incidentally, ‘TerrorVision’
was written entirely around this pre-existing poster). On the reverse are some
stills from the movies and 2 alternative posters for The Video Dead.
Both films
come with new documentaries about the making of, bringing together many of the
cast and crew.
The
commentary for Terror Vision was fun and really elevated the movie for me.
There were tons of insights to the evolution of the production, the actor’s
perception of the script, on-set anecdotes, and the initial response to the
film when it was released. Unfortunately, the commentary for The Video Dead
reads like an apologetic ‘MST3000’ episode. There are some funny moments but
you get the impression that this wasn’t exactly as passion-project.
Being one of
those cult films that’s been sought-after but not easily found for a number of
decades, this is likely the best version of ‘TerrorVision’ that’s ever been
available. The latter is probably true for The Video Dead but I doubt the same
could be said of the former. Of the two, The Video Dead is the least fortunate
in presentation. Most of the film, shot in 16mm, is so grainy and ghosty that
it’s a bit like watching through a mask of gauze. The set comes with both films
on DVD & Blu-Ray but, with The Video Dead, I really couldn’t see a
difference.

Final
Grades:
Story: C- / Both films seem to be a means to an end with little
thought put into plotting.
Presentation: B / I think both films are getting the
Surprise-Prom-Queen treatment here (minus the pig’s blood).
Scare Factor: D / More laughs than scares here.
Gore Factor: C / Both films give a go at grossing us out.
Repeat view-ability: ‘TerrorVision’ gets a solid B because this
is one that you just wanna show your weirdo friends. ‘The Video Dead’ gets
D. I can’t see myself really giving it my time again.
Add TerrorVision and The Video Dead to your collection, click HERE!
Check out yesterday's Scream Factory review Phantasm 2!

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